10 observations: Katchouk, Raddysh lead Hawks to upset win over Bruins originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Blackhawks upset the Boston Bruins 6-3 at the United Center on Tuesday.
Here are 10 observations from the win:
1. I don’t think you could have asked for a better effort from the Blackhawks against the NHL’s best team. They took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission — it was just the 17th time all season the Bruins trailed after one period — and almost took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission, but Trent Frederic tied it up at 2-2 with 11.1 seconds left. And then they finished strong to hand the Bruins just their 11th regulation loss of the season. Wild.
2. This team just doesn’t quit. I thought the Blackhawks were going to drop their shoulders after the Bruins made it 3-2 in the third period but they fought back. Again. The Blackhawks have held their own over the last five games against Detroit, Ottawa, Florida, Tampa Bay and Boston, all five of which are playoff teams or teams fighting for a spot. This was probably their best win of the season, all things considered.
3. Taylor Raddysh potted his first career NHL hat trick to give himself his first career 20-goal season in the NHL. He scored all three goals in the third period, which included an empty netter. He now has six goals in his last four games after having zero in his previous 15.
4. Have a night, Boris Katchouk. He recorded two assists and then scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to give himself three points. Against the Boston Bruins. Unreal. If it wasn’t for Raddysh, Katchouk would have been named the No. 1 star of the game. His line, as a whole, was really good. Joey Anderson scored his second goal in four games and added an assist and Jujhar Khaira registered a primary assist. That trio has some nice chemistry going right now.
5. Petr Mrazek turned in another strong performance but exited in the second period with a groin injury, head coach Luke Richardson said after the game. He stopped all 16 shots he faced before leaving, and he did not return. Alex Stalock entered in relief and held down the fort. A tough development for Mrazek, who’s had a difficult time staying healthy in his career. It’s the third groin injury of the season for Mrazek.
6. I thought MacKenzie Entwistle had a really strong game. He scored the opening goal, nearly added a second in the middle frame but mishandled the breakaway, and also made a nice back check on David Pastrnak to prevent an odd-man rush and scoring chance.
7. The Blackhawks scored five goals against Vezina Trophy favorite Linus Ullmark, who was 33-4-1 entering Tuesday. It was the second time all season he gave up more than three goals in a game and his five goals against ties a season-high. The other came on Nov. 11 in a 6-5 overtime win over Pittsburgh.
8. The Blackhawks were credited with 17 hits in the first period. They finished with 36 total. The Bruins had only four hits in the opening frame and finished with 20.
9. The Blackhawks have shut down Cole Guttman for the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury. He will undergo surgery and is expected to be ready for training camp. He looked solid in his 14 games with the NHL club, scoring four goals and adding two assists over that stretch. I think he’ll push for a full-time roster spot next season.
10. The Bruins clinched a playoff spot on March 11. The regular season doesn’t end until April 14. They also have a +100 goal differential, which leads the NHL. The next-best team? +55 at New Jersey. Absurd. The Bruins are having one of the best seasons in NHL history, which is crazy to think about when you factor in the injuries they dealt with at the beginning of the season.
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